


Different angles

by Fleppy85



Category: Batwoman (TV 2019)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24973951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: Plays after "Through the looking-glass" and every chapter is from the point of view from either Sophie, Kate or Julia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. 1

Sophie  
So many things had happened within a few days, Sophie was not sure what was still left of the life she knew and what had changed forever. One thing was for sure: somebody wanted her dead and somehow was Kate’s ex involved. Julia, who had saved her life, who had appeared out of the blue and knew more about her than she knew about the blonde. British Secret Service. Why was British Secret Service interested in things that happened in Gotham? It was another country, another continent. Had the blonde really come to Gotham because she saw somebody wanted Sophie dead? And how did she know where Sophie was? Had she followed her? Great, she might have been watched by two parties and hadn’t been aware of any one of them. This said a lot about her qualities as a agent.  
Because she wanted answers - and was worried as she hadn’t heard from Kate since she sent her a text in the middle of the night - there was only one place to go: Kate’s office. Also, Kate should be able to tell her what happened to her father. After she had warned him about the bounty she hadn’t heard from him. Everything was crazy.   
At least the doorman let her upstairs without any problems. Did he know she and Kate had dated? Apparently, it was kind of common knowledge, when Julia knew about them too. Why did Kate tell her about Sophie? Since when did you tell your girlfriend about your ex? And it had to be in a way that her name was stuck in Julia’s mind, that she recognized Sophie’s name right away. Was there more to the story than Julia had told her?  
Kate’s office was empty, which was weird as the doorman had let her up. Had she only left for a moment and would be back any second? Didn’t Kate live in the building? After she had moved out of her father’s apartment. There were so many things she didn’t know about Kate, so many things, she hadn’t asked about. There hadn’t exactly been time for them to talk and well, there had been Tyler and Kate had told her, they should keep their distance. Not that Sophie hadn’t said the same words before and had not acted that way. Somehow she always ended with Kate. If not in person then it was in her mind.   
No wonder her marriage hadn’t worked out.   
No, it hadn’t worked out because Sophie was not in love with Tyler, she never had. And now not only Tyler, but also her mother knew. And both knew why. Something else, that had messed up her life and turned everything upside down.   
Sophie looked up when she heard steps coming towards the office and a few seconds later Kate and Julia walked into the room. Side by side, smiling at each other. Had Julia stayed over? Like in stayed over with Kate?   
“Hey.”  
Kate looked surprised and like she had been caught in the act. She stepped a little bit away from Julia, as if she needed to bring some distance between them.   
“Morning,” Julia smiled. She was in a good mood.   
“Hey, I…I wanted to know if you are all right. You never answered my call and I…well, you will know there is a bounty on my head and somebody tried to kill your father. Is he all right?” The words left her mouth rapidly like bullets left a machine gun. She was so nervous and mad with herself for being nervous and for not being able to stop looking from one woman to the other. Jealousy did not suit her. It didn’t suit anybody.   
“He hasn’t talked to me.” Kate pulled her phone out of her pocket.   
“The same people, who want you dead want him dead. You are onto something hot and somebody doesn’t like it,” Julia said, “something that has to do with the death of Lucius Fox.”  
Right, he had been Julia’s godfather, was that why she was interested in what happened in Gotham? No, it can’t be, she had been surprised when Sophie told her about the case and that they were working on this.   
“Dad is in the apartment, he said, you should not go to the office before you know who wants you dead. He’ll call when he knows more until then, stay low.”  
Stay low. Very funny. How? And where? Was she supposed to hide in a motel room? They could only catch whoever was after this when they worked and not when they vanished in a deep, dark hole.   
“Okay.”  
“When we know who killed Lucius we know who wants you dead. I need to talk to Luke, he might be at risk.” Kate left the office.   
“Are you going back to the motel room?” Julia asked.  
“No. I can’t go back to my apartment, that is too dangerous, but I won’t go back to that place. It’s too depressing. Surely there is somewhere else where I can stay. Although, hiding doesn’t solve the problem.”  
“No, yet it is the order your commander has given you.”  
Yes, it was an order. Like it had been an order to bring Batwoman in, not to help her. Sophie had ignored this rule big times, it got her suspended and well, she was back on payroll although she had let her commander know, that she hadn’t changed her mind about Batwoman. Not at all. And she missed her. Where was she? Did she know what was going on? Did she know somebody wanted Sophie dead? She couldn’t or she would be there, she had helped her, saved her, various times. Sophie didn’t want to believe this had changed because of how they separated the last time they spoke. She had taken off her mask, Sophie had, had come out and done the first step to be ready to date a woman. The question was, was Batwoman still interested in her?   
And would Sophie live long enough to ask her this question?


	2. Chapter 2

Julia  
An hour earlier…  
Julia watched Kate sit up and pull her hair, grumbling like she was trying to solve a puzzle and had no idea how. Frustration, disappointment and grief had taken the better part of her ex. If it wasn’t impossible she’d say Kate’s tattoos weren’t as colorful as they used to be.   
But that was nonsense.   
“You do know that I know last night was comfort sex and not ‘let’s get married because we’re madly in love sex’, right? You are not acting like you destroyed the Queen’s Jewelry because of it, are you?” Last night, Kate had kissed her, it had been a whiskey filled kiss, a scream of desperation, of need to feel comfortable, to feel not bad even when it was only for a short period of time. Julia had known this right from the beginning and yet, there was nothing wrong with comfort sex when both parties knew it was nothing more than that.   
“Doesn’t this make me more like my sister?”  
“Your sister? I don’t know her in person, but from what I know I’d more place her in the black widow sex department. You know, she has her fun and then off with his head. Her head?”  
“His head. She used to date a guy, who worked for my father, who helped her kidnap Sophie and later tried to kill my father in prison.”  
“She carries a lot of hate in her. You don’t.” But Kate carried grief and this seemed to be something her sister did not know. Or not anymore.   
“I’m not surprised after all what Cartwright has done to her. He was a monster.”  
“What happened to him?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“Luv, if you want to lie to me that’s fine, but do it in a way I don’t know you’re lying. Or tell me it’s not my business, you don’t want to talk about it, whatever.” She expected more from Kate than a simple lie.   
“I don’t want to talk about it.”  
“All right, that is better. Although, I can see you should talk about it. You don’t have to talk about it with me, you can talk about it with Sophie.”  
“Sophie?” Kate’s voice was a mixture of sneer and horror.   
Something bad had happened and Julia began to get an idea what it was. And she would not start this topic, Kate had to do it on her own.   
“Yes. She worries about you, because you sent her a message two nights ago and didn’t respond. Neither did you answer her call.”  
“Did you become best buddies?”  
“No, but we did have a conversation while and after I was stitched up. Two nights ago you are desperate enough to message her, last night you lock your own sister up in Arkham, you do have a few things to talk about. And I think Sophie is the best person for this because you trust her and she trusts you.”  
“I kissed her.”  
“The two of you were a couple, of course you kissed.”  
“No, I kissed her last week. When I was suited up and Batwoman. She…she freed me, risked her job, got suspended because of me and when I heard this and offered to walk away, so she doesn’t have to give up her dreams, she kissed me. And then we kissed. And the next evening again, until her mother interrupted us.”  
“Well, that’s…does she know you are Batwoman?” Kate kissed her ex when she was Batwoman? Hadn’t they tried to make Sophie believe Kate was not Batwoman? Was kissing her not counterproductive?   
“No, she doesn’t.”  
“Kate, you guys kissed. It might have been a while that you were a couple, but I doubt she has forgotten how it feels to kiss you. I certainly hadn’t and we weren’t together for three years.” If Sophie only slightly felt for Kate what she felt for her, she’d know it was Kate. No matter how good they had fooled her a few weeks ago, kissing your ex was different to talking to her. You had to recognize your big love when you kissed her. Otherwise, what else was romance there for?   
“She didn’t say my name. Not like she did before you were here the last time.”  
“Maybe she wants you to tell her.”  
“I don’t know and…I don’t have the head to think about this. Now or at all.”  
“Think about it, I believe talking about what’s on your mind will help you. I’m here if you need me and well, if you only need somebody to comfort you, I can’t say I mind doing that.”  
Kate shook her head. “It was selfish, I should not…”  
“I can’t recall that you forced me or talked me into anything. It was not selfish, it was what we both wanted and we both knew and know, it’s nothing more than comfort sex.” Julia pulled Kate in her arms. They were still naked and memories of when she and Kate had more than a one night stand came back to her mind. Even back then, Kate had never been completely with her, her heart was with Sophie.   
“How do we stop ourselves from becoming somebody we are not?”  
“Be yourself.”  
“And when I can’t? I…the last time I suited up I almost chocked a guy. I was so mad, it was hard to stop. There is so much evil in this world and no matter what I do, or what you do, there is more and more. It’s a tilt at windmills.”  
Was this what shocked Kate? That she had felt like she lost control over herself? That she could kill somebody like her sister did? In cold blood.   
“Except in your case the windmills are giants and evil and not just windmills. People are worse than giants, they try to get into your head, plant doubts and fear, they can make you believe you did the wrong thing although you did the right thing or they make you believe, that you are somebody you aren’t. All to hurt you, to control you. We all have killed, it comes with the job, we only have to make sure, we don’t kill the good ones.”   
“If it was this easy.”  
“It’s not and it will never be.” Julia kissed Kate’s naked shoulder. She wished she could take some of the pain off Kate’s mind, help her understand she was nothing like her sister. And if she had killed somebody, Julia was sure, it hadn’t been a good person.   
“So why are we doing what we are doing?”  
“Because if you don't, if we don't, a lot of innocent people will die and suffer. We won't turn the world into a good place, we will turn it into a better place for some people and to me, everybody counts. Every life you safe counts, Kate.”


	3. Chapter 3

Kate  
“How do you feel?” Sophie asked.   
“What do you mean?” How was she supposed to feel? What did Sophie know? Did she know what Kate had done? Was it written all over her face? Did she look like a killer now?   
“You locked up your sister at Arkham, no matter what Alice did and I don’t say, she does not belong there, she is exactly where she belongs and should be, but she is your sister and you were so happy to have her back.”  
“Alice is not Beth. Beth is…was a good person, she would have never hurt anybody.” No, Beth had been kind-hearted. And she was dead. Killed by Cartwright. He had killed her sister twice. First as a child, he had killed her personality and turned her into a sociopath, and then he killed the version of Beth, who had turned out just the way Kate had imagined she had. And he had mutilated the dead body of her mother.   
“I still can’t believe she is alive. I saw how she was shot.”  
“You did?” Kate looked up. She hadn’t known this. What had Sophie done there?   
“Yes. I saw her and your assistant. They escaped and I had her in the cross-hair, was ready to shoot…”  
“But you didn’t.” Cartwright did. Luke and Mary found the rifle in the car he had used.   
“No.”  
“Why? You put the order shoot to kill up yourself.” It was why she had talked to Sophie, disguised as Batwoman, had asked her not to kill Alice. She had lost one sister, she didn’t want to lose the other one too. Even when it was the evil version.   
“Batwoman asked me not to. She wanted to take care of Alice herself.”   
Her wish was important to Sophie. Or Batwoman’s was. When Kate had asked Sophie to tell the world the truth, she hadn’t done it. She had lied and left Kate. Only to kiss Batwoman. When she had offered to stay away Sophie had kissed her. She had asked her to come into her apartment, wanted to be with her, but…was she interested in Batwoman, because she could hide her and therefore hide herself? And how could she not know that Kate was Batwoman? Had she forgotten their kisses? Because Kate hadn’t.   
“I’m glad you didn’t kill her.”  
“Somebody did. Somebody killed somebody, who looked like Alice. Your father believed it was his daughter, how can two people look so much alike?”  
That was easy when one of them came from another universe. A universe, where she had been an ordinary, happy, young woman. A woman, who had not been locked up by a monster.   
“I have no idea.” None, she could explain to Sophie. Involving Mary was one thing, Mary was…handy…Sophie was too much focused on Kate’s father. She couldn’t trust her, couldn’t trust she’d put Kate’s wish over her father’s demands.   
“Why have you been awake that night? What was going on?”  
It had been a mistake to write Sophie. She shouldn’t have done it. But she had needed somebody to talk to and for some reasons, Sophie always was the first who came to her mind. They had been through so much. Past tense.   
“I had no idea what to do with Alice. She wanted me to help her free Mouse and…I knew it’s wrong yet I had no idea how else to get her into Arkham. So I broke in with her, injured people, and then betrayed her trust. Doesn’t this make me the same like her?” Wasn’t she like Alice? A person, you could not trust. Somebody, who hurt you because she believed it was the right thing to do.   
“No, it makes you a brave woman. Alice is where she belongs. You saved many lives by locking her up.”  
And she had killed a person, had taken a life. Of a person, who was tied up to a chair. What kind of heroine was she?   
“I betrayed my own sister.”  
“How many times has she betrayed you?”  
“Dozens. Yet, it does me act like her. It makes us the same.”   
“Kate.” Sophie took her hand. “You are nothing like your sister. Not at all.”   
It felt good to feel her hand in Sophie’s. She missed her. If things had been different, if she wasn’t Batwoman, if Sophie was out and be herself, things could have been different. They could still be together. Be happy.   
Kate remembered how Beth had told her, she had met her soul mate in her universe. Was it Sophie? Things were different in that universe, had been different, maybe the Sophie there was out and she and Kate had left Point Rock together, and Sophie had married her instead of Tyler.   
“What do you want to do next?” She had to get the topic away from Alice or she would never forget what she did.   
“I have no idea. Somebody wants your father and me dead, I want to know who it is and I’d like to live a few more days.”  
Sophie had to. Kate couldn’t bear losing her too. Not after she had left Beth.   
“You can stay here if you want. Your apartment is not a safe place to be.” There were apartments, free apartments in the building and the security was good. She’d offer the same to her father but she knew he’d not take the offer. Her father needed to be in control and he wasn’t when he was her guest.   
“What will your cousin say when you give away his apartments?”  
“Bruce left the building to me so I can use it, so that it’s used. Or…do you want to go and stay with somebody else?” She had no idea who else was in Sophie's life. Did she have close friends, where she could stay?   
“Like whom?”  
Tyler? But then again, they separated and apparently Sophie was over pretending she liked men or she hadn’t kissed Batwoman. “I don’t know, a friend. Somebody, you hang with after work.”   
“As if there is much hanging after work. The only people I know outside work are on Tyler’s side, so there is nobody I see after work. When work is over, it’s not like I had a lot of spare time anyway.”  
When she did because she was suspended she had spent it with Batwoman. Did Sophie wonder where Batwoman was? Did she miss her? The way Kate missed Sophie.   
Damn it, Julia was right, she was not over Sophie, but as she had told the other woman herself, probably she never would.   
Was there anything in her life that did not go wrong?   
“Then stay, you will be safe here.”  
“Thanks, I take your offer and hope, I can be out of your way soon.”  
Out of her way? Kate had never wanted Sophie out of her way, she had always wanted Sophie close and in her life.   
Some things never changed.


	4. Chapter 4

Sophie  
Staying at the Wayne Tower had the advantage, that Sophie did not have to worry about her safety. The downside was, she didn’t have clothes with her so she ordered new ones from a local store. It was too dangerous to go to her condo and pack a few things together. Whoever wanted her dead surely knew where she lived and would wait there for her.   
Her phone rang. Commander Kane.   
“Sir, are there any news?”  
“Not yet. Where are you?”  
“The Wayne Tower, Kate offered me an apartment here so I don’t have to go back to the motel.” Which was not a place she had enjoyed. It was had been all right for the night, not for more.   
“Good, stay away from your apartment. I am working on who is after this. Meanwhile, the city has a new old problem. Or two.”  
“What is it?”   
“Alice and Mouse escaped.”   
“How?”  
“They have their ways. Kate and Alice broke into Arkham, when you find a way inside there is a way out, too. They have to get back in there, but we can’t take care of this right now.”  
“Do you think they have something to do with the bounty?” So far Alice had always spared her, she had never hurt her because of Kate. Now that Kate had Julia this could change.   
“No, that is not her style.”  
Sophie was not sure what Alice’s style was and if she doesn’t do anything to reach her goals. “What do you need me to do?”  
“Stay low, try to work on this case from a safe place.”   
There was not much she could do being here. “We won’t solve this case when we hide.”  
“We will never solve it when we’re dead.”  
His point. “Okay, I’ll stay here and see if I can work on something from here. Not sure how.”  
“You’ll find a way. Have an eye on Kate, she can need a friend right now.”  
What? He wanted her to look after Kate? Why? He knew about their past. “She has Julia, she is looking after Kate.” In every way. And all night.   
“I have no idea who that is, stay safe, Sophie.”  
“You too, Commander.” He didn’t know Julia? This was weird. Sophie had expected him to know her as Julia knew Luke and well, seemed to have ties to Gotham. Apparently Kate hadn’t introduced her girlfriend to her father. What were they doing? Were they… no, she better did not go there, it was not her business. She had other things to worry about, things that were more important. Like figuring out who wanted her dead and how to prevent them from getting what they wanted.   
With Alice and Mouse on the run, life only got more complicated and dangerous. How had they managed to get out of Arkham in basically no time? They must have an insider, who helped them. Was everybody in this city corrupt? What was wrong with Gotham?   
A knock on the door made her look up. Mary. “Hey.”  
“Hey yourself, I heard what happened and that you are going to stay here for a while.”  
“I can’t go to my apartment, it’s too dangerous.”  
“Is there anything I can do?”  
“I was about to order clothes because I don’t have any with me. Also, I talked to your father a minute ago. Alice and Mouse escaped, you might want to be careful as they know where your clinic is.”  
“They do, yes,” Mary sighed, “and how the hell did they get out of Arkham?”  
“I have no idea. They must have somebody on their payroll there. Otherwise I can’t explain how they managed.”  
“Does Kate know?”  
“Only if her father told her.”  
“She feels bad for locking Alice up and only one night later her sister is out of Arkham. All this grief for nothing.” Mary looked up. “Do you think she will go after Kate? For betraying her and locking her up.”  
“With Alice everything is possible. Kate, you, your father, me. We are all not safe. Sorry.” She hated to be the messenger of bad news, yet Mary needed to know so she could be careful. Sophie would suggest to the other woman to stay away from her clinic for a while, but she knew Mary would go there anyway. It was her life, her work. Like Sophie felt like walking back to the Crows office and figure out who was after all of this.   
“Is everything else all right with you?” Mary asked. “I mean, somebody tries to kill you, yet it appears like there is more on your plate.”  
“I came out to my mother and let’s say, it did not work out the way they show it in movies.”  
“Oh Sophie.” Mary closed the distance between them and pulled her into her arms. “I’m proud of you, you were brave. From what you have told me about your mother, it was not an easy step. I’m proud you did it.”  
“She is disappointed and I think even disgusted by me. After I told her she left the condo and hasn’t talked to me since.”  
“Give her time, she will come around. I mean, you love women, that is not illegal, that is nothing bad, it’s not a reason not to love your daughter anymore.”  
Mary really did not know her mother. To her mother the words of the priest were important and they saw Sophie as a sinner. If her mother could ever accept her the way she was, it would take time.  
“Anyway, I hereby confirm that coming out is not always making you feel good, free or happy. Quite contrary, in my case. I don’t say it wasn’t the right thing to do, the problem is, it brought more problems.”  
“How come you came out now? Did anything happen?”  
“Beside getting divorced from my husband?” Shouldn’t that be enough? But if that had been the reason she had talked to her mother sooner. “Batwoman left me.”  
“What? Why?”  
“Because I was not out. She made it clear that she doesn’t want to be a secret. Not when she takes off her mask.”   
“Did she? Take off her mask?” Mary asked carefully.   
“No. I still have no idea who she is. She said, when she takes it off, all the complications will start and she is right. I have no idea if I am ready to walk hand in hand with a woman through the city. Act, like I have acted with Tyler.” Although it had never felt right to her, she knew it looked right to all the other people, so she had been all right showing, or pretending, affection towards Tyler in public.   
“Right now it’s not a good idea, when this is over, you might.”  
Sophie was not sure she would ever feel brave enough for it. Although, she had told her mother she was a lesbian, she could do anything. When she had the energy for it. And when Batwoman gave her the chance to be with her. She missed her and she surely could use her help now.


	5. Chapter 5

Kate  
“Have you heard that Alice has escaped?”  
“What? No!” Kate dropped the pencil. She hadn’t expected to see Mary here and she had even less expected to hear that her sister was out of Arkham. How the hell did this happen?   
“She has. Also, there is a bomber in the city, Gotham needs Batwoman back.”  
Why did she tell her this? Mary had been hinting for the last days that she knew Kate was Batwoman. If she expected her to agree, to say something, she came to the wrong person. Right now, Batwoman was not a topic she wanted to talk about.   
“Kate, do you hear what I say?”  
“I do. So? GCPD and the Crows are there to handle everything, it’s their job.” She had taken Alice to Arkham once, she would not do it again. Besides, her sister surely wouldn’t be happy to see her and Kate expected her to fight her. She had betrayed Alice.   
“The Crows? They are more interested in killing your father and Sophie.”  
And Kate was more interested in keeping both alive than she was in the city or in becoming Batwoman again. Who said she was not losing control again and this time completely? It was too dangerous to let her go out.   
“They are working on that.”  
Mary shook her head in disbelief. “What is wrong with you?”  
“I work in real estate, the heroes are other people.” She was a liability to society. She had killed. Not an innocent man, but she had killed. With her bare hands. She had squeezed the life out of Cartwright.   
“Did you know that somebody tried to blow up my clinic?”  
“What?” What the hell?   
“Most of it is destroyed, I’m only grateful that nobody was injured.”  
“What happened?” Kate got up, took a closer look at Mary. She seemed fine.   
“Suddenly the wall exploded. I left right away because I am afraid this has something to do with the people, who want Jacob and Sophie dead. I didn’t want them to shoot at me too.”  
Somebody was after her family. “You should stay here.”  
“I will, but Kate, the city needs you even more than I need you now. They need Batwoman.”  
“What am I supposed to do about it?” She couldn’t tell her she was Batwoman, she had to keep it a secret.   
“You are Batwoman,” Mary said quietly, “Batwoman came out on the cover.”  
“Yeah, that is so much me.” This was the least thing she had in common with Batwoman and she had only done it to support kids like Parker. She had never been afraid to stand up for herself, yet she was not interested in telling the world about her private life on the cover of a magazine.   
“She was poisoned by Nocturna the same night you had Special K in your blood.”  
Okay, that was a…coincident.   
“Your assistant works around the clock, he is connected to you via an ear piece and only real estate you have bought so far is the bar. Also, you have never been home when Batwoman was in the city and you have the skills to be her.”  
Mary had collected a lot of evidence. In front of a judge or a jury she might win this argument.   
“And why would Batwoman call me, bring people to me, if it wasn’t you? You brought Sophie to the clinic, told me to make sure, she does not leave because Sophie assumed you are Batwoman. She doesn’t, although you two dated. I’m not sure how she can not know you are Batwoman when you dated, but well…she has no clue. It’s not a coincidence that Batwoman showed up when Sophie was kidnapped and saved her. Saved her various times.”  
“She saved many people.”  
“Never as often as she saved Sophie.”  
“Maybe Sophie has to be more careful.”  
“Or Batwoman likes Sophie. Kate, she needs you, somebody wants to kill her and somebody is about to bomb the city into ashes. The city needs you, it needs Batwoman. I told you that I won’t tell anybody you are Batwoman, you keep my secret about the clinic - well, you brought Sophie there but that’s okay, we can trust her. Just please, Batwoman needs to return and bring peace to the city.”  
“I am not a heroine.” Kate gritted her teeth. Stay calm.   
“Yes, you are.”  
“No, I am not. I am not better than Alice.”  
“Yes, you are.”  
“You don’t know the whole story, Mary. You have no idea what I have done.” I have killed a man. A defenseless man.   
“Whatever you did, you feel remorse. It’s written all over your face. Alice, does not feel remorse, she might not even know what it is. You are not like her. No matter what happened, you are not like her. And you will never be. Always remember this.” Mary walked to the door. “The city needs you, Kate. It’s up to you to save innocent lives.”  
Under pressure. Why did Mary know she was Batwoman? And why was she so…like her. The city was better off without her. Now with Alice on the loose, one killing sister was more than enough.  
“She is right.” Luke walked into the office and closed the door behind him. “The city needs you.”  
“No, it doesn’t.”  
“When the Bat is away the crazy all the crazy will play. And that is what they do.”  
“Luke, I…won’t put on the suit. And why does Mary know? What did you tell her?”  
“Nothing. When we looked for the car of Beth’s killer, she asked me if I don’t have any fancy tools, ignoring my question what kind of real estate tools she thinks could help. She knows and I have no idea why.”  
Kate knew, Mary had told her why. “Alice is free.”  
“So I’ve heard a minute ago. How?”  
“I have no idea, she must have somebody working on the inside.”  
“She’ll be furious. You might want to find her before she finds you.”  
He was right, she knew it. Finding Alice meant, Kate was prepared whether she had no idea when Alive found her and what she would do. She surely wouldn’t greet her with arms wide open. First, Kate had chosen to let her die and then she had locked her up. No, she had not been a great sister lately. Not that Alice was, but she didn’t want to be like her sister.   
“The suit will help.”  
“No.” Kate got up. No, she was not going to be Batwoman. She could not protect the city from bad people when she lost control over herself and acted like a bad person herself. As long as she was liability it was better for everybody when she stayed away.


	6. Chapter 6

Julia  
Watching Kate suffer hurt Julia’s heart. She know, she was supposed to go back to England, wait for her next job but what kind of friend would she be when she left Kate now? With everything that was going on she could not leave her.   
“You are not going to drink whiskey again, are you?” Julia sat next to Kate, who sat on the railing of the balcony. Here their comfort time had started last night.   
“No. Although I feel like it.”  
“It does not solve problem, it only creates more, but you know that.”  
“I do.” Kate overlooked the city in front of her feet. What was going on with Gotham? “Mary knows I’m Batwoman.”  
“She does? How?”  
“She is smart, she put all the pieces together and got the whole picture. Worse, somebody almost destroyed her clinic.”  
“There is a bomber in town, he has target cops.”  
“Mary wants me to be Batwoman and stop whoever is behind this.” She wanted her to go out, be a heroine when she was a killer.   
“I can’t say I don’t agree with her.”  
“The last time I was Batwoman I almost choked somebody to death. When I kill people I am not a help, I’m part of the problem.” And the criminal her father claimed Batwoman was.   
“You didn’t, you stopped.”  
“I killed Cartwright.” She had told her. This morning. Under tears. If anybody did not judge her it was Julia, Kate knew so much.   
“You know he wanted you to do it? Because he knew you’d feel bad about it. It was his plan as his suicide did not work.” Julia pulled Kate into her arms. Kate was not a killer.   
“He succeeded.”  
“He got what he deserved.”  
“Once you crossed a line…”  
“You can always turn and go back. Kate, you are the one, who decides what you do. Not Cartwright, not Alice. You. And you have a good heart, you will do the right thing. Do not feel sorry for a man, who killed your sister twice.”   
“Alice is back on the streets.”   
“Do you want to find her?” Take her back to Arkham? If Kate wanted to do this, Julia was there to help. She agreed, Alice had to be off the streets, yet the question was, where to take her? Arkham seemed not to be suitable other she hadn’t been able to get out there within forty-eight hours.   
“No. The problem is I’m sure she wants to find me and with somebody trying to kill my father, Mary and Sophie I can’t afford to waste time on Alice.”  
“So, what do you want to do?” Julia knew Kate needed to move, she had to do something because the thought she buried herself in, were dark thoughts. They didn’t help her, only hurt her more.   
“I don’t want to be Batwoman.”  
“You don’t want to or you are afraid?”  
“I worry I might do something wrong.”  
“Okay, so what is worse? You almost choking a criminal or a criminal killing dozens of innocent people?”   
“What if I don’t stop at almost?”  
“What if you don’t start at all? Because you don’t want to? And have in your mind all the time that you don’t want to do it.”  
“Gotham survived without Batwoman for years.”  
“It struggled and most of all the poor struggled. You know, Batwoman helps the ones, who don’t get fancy protection by the corrupt company of your father. Batman kept the peace, when he left, Gotham turned dark. Gotham needs Batwoman.” Kate needed to be Batwoman. Batwoman was what Kate stood for.   
“Will you join me?”  
“Only when you don’t ask me to wear the suit. The last time left an impression, one that hurt for days.” She had felt like somebody had knocked the air out of her body. Which kind of happened. In the end it was harmless because the weapon used was designed to kill her. Strangely, it was Alice, who saved her life without knowing it.   
“No, I’ll wear the suit.”  
“You might want to tell Sophie you are Batwoman.”  
“What? Why?”  
“Because she is head over heels for her. For you.” And Kate was in love with Sophie. Otherwise she hadn’t kissed her, hadn’t risked being caught. These kisses between Batwoman and Sophie had meant more than the sex Julia and Kate had last night.   
“It didn’t work out back then, why would it now?”  
“Talk to her. Have you talked to her? I mean, really talked to her since you are back?”  
“No. I tried once and it ended not well. Just before you came to Gotham to catch the Rifle.”  
“Give it a go. She is here, she can’t go anywhere. Talk to her. Now you have all the time in the world. Or at least all day. Tonight, we should go and save some innocent people. You as Batwoman and I can a female James Bond. I do have the accent for that.”  
“That you have. And the charm.”   
“I know, women can’t resist me,” Julia laughed. She was sure when Kate talked to Sophie she’d feel better. And from what she had heard from Mary, they had a lot to talk about. There was something Kate did not know about Sophie and something Sophie did not know about Kate and for both it was easier when they learned these things. From each other.   
“Will you make sure I don’t do anything I will regret?”  
“Luv, if you want I am happy to stay by your side all night. Dressed or naked, being with you is always fun.” She meant it. She enjoyed spending time with Kate, no matter what they did.   
“Dressed it is.”   
“All right.” Whatever helped Kate to get her old self-esteem back. These doubts had to go and Julia wanted her old friend back. The confident woman, who knew she was exactly what the city needed. And until then Julia would stay in Gotham. Until Kate was back to her old self and the people, who wanted to kill Kate’s father and Sophie were either in prison or dead.


	7. Chapter 7

Sophie  
This was frustrating. She wasted time sitting in the room when there were people, who wanted to kill her. And Alice was back on the streets. She should be outside, she should catch criminals and not hide from them. The problem was, when the criminals were hidden in your team, you were not safe. Who said her team still had her back? What if they did? They could use the help of her team. They could use the help of everybody.   
A knock on the door made Sophie look up. “Come in.” The door was unlocked, she was safe here.   
“Hey.”  
Kate. She had expected Mary and not Kate.   
“Hey.” She looked bad. Still. “Come in.” There was not a lot in the room, the bed a sideboard, a chair and a table. On the chair were three parcels that had been delivered for her, new clothes. The first load was already in the washing machine. Sophie pointed to her bed for Kate to sit. The brunette fidgeted with her fingers, her eyes on the ground. Something was up.   
“Are you all right?” Kate asked.   
“Yes, thanks for letting me stay here.”  
“Of course.”  
Sophie had to restrain herself from slipping over, taking Kate’s hand. “What is going on, Kate? You are not yourself. And you don’t send me a message in the middle of the night for no reason and I mean, a real reason.”   
“This is all not easy.”  
“Tell me about it, I was one second away from being dead.” Without Julia she wouldn’t sit here. Or anywhere else.   
“Dad knows Alice is alive.”  
“You said he was there when you locked her into the cell.”  
“He was, yes. He didn’t want to believe me when I told him, she is still alive. Then we…went to find her.”  
“You know where she was?”  
“No. Not that time.”   
Other times she had? Should Sophie be mad because Kate hadn’t brought Alice in earlier? She had protected her, had stood between her and the weapons of the Crows. She couldn’t be mad with Kate for protecting her sister if her sister wasn’t a serial killer. But somehow Sophie had the feeling this was not about Alice.   
“Kate, what is up?” She couldn’t stop herself, she had to take Kate’s hand, hold it.   
“Do you think I am like Alice?”  
“No!” How did Kate come up with this question? She was not like Alice, not at all. Kate was a good person and not a psychopath.   
“We are twins.”  
“You were twins, yes, and then Beth vanished. Alice is not Beth. She is not the Beth you remember, the Beth you told me about. She is a serial killer, a psychopath. She killed Mary’s mother, almost killed Mary.” Had their own father almost killed, no Kate was not like Alice. Sophie really didn’t understand how Kate could wonder about this.   
“I’m afraid I become her.”  
“I really can’t see that happen.” The fact Kate worried about this was enough to prove, she was not like her sister.   
“Bad things happen.”  
“All the time, at least it feels like it lately. Any time I believe life gets better something happens and destroys the happiness.” Sophie bit her lips. She hadn’t planned to say these words.   
“You mean somebody putting a bounty on you?”  
“That was one thing, yes. I’m glad your girlfriend was around.” Argh, what was wrong with her? Could she not use her brain before she spoke? She did not want to sound like a jealous ex.   
“Julia is not my girlfriend. She is my ex.”  
And she stayed in Kate’s room last night. At least it had felt like this when she had seen both walk into the office. Not that she was an expert on sex and how people looked after sex.   
“I’m grateful she is here. She offers to help us with finding the killer of Lucius Fox.”  
“He was her godfather.”  
“So she told me. Why do you think you are like your sister?” Kate hadn’t given her a reason why she worried to turn out like Alice.   
“Alice and I are twins, we can’t be too different.”  
“Yes you can because you grew up completely different. I don’t doubt that you are important to her because you are her twin, you are very important to her.” That was why she had kept Sophie alive. Alice knew if she hurt Sophie Kate would never forgive her. Maybe now Alice came after her to hurt Kate after she had betrayed her. Somebody else, who wanted her dead was exactly what she needed. Not.   
“Right now I have no idea what I should believe, who I am and what I should do.”  
“You are Kate Kane, you stand up for what you believe is right, you stand up for others and that is what you should do because it’s who you are.” Sophie put her arm around Kate’s shoulder. They hadn’t been this close in ages. Yes, they had hold hands for a moment before, like at the restaurant or when Kate asked her to run Alice’s blood. Back then Sophie had denied the wish, she hadn’t believed Alice could be Kate’s sister. She should have believed her, Kate did not say things like this easily. And there was something else she had said to Sophie back then.   
“Would you really have come to Gotham to stop me from getting married if you had known I was about to get married?”  
“Yes. Because it was a mistake.”  
“That it was.” One, she had done although she knew it was a mistake. Something she did to please the people around her, to keep her lie alive.   
“I’d have come here, told you it’s a mistake and well, I don’t know, probably got kicked out. Those are not the words you would have wanted to hear.”  
“No, sometimes you don’t want to hear the truth. And no matter how much some people claim that the truth will set you free, that you will feel better after you have told the truth, I can’t say this is always the case.” She hadn’t felt good since she came out to her mother. Quite contrary, her life had become considerably worse since that day.


	8. Chapter 8

Kate  
“What do you mean?” Kate asked. The truth was the only way to live a life worth living. Yeah, that is why I tell everybody I am Batwoman, she laughed at herself. She lied to Mary although Mary got everything right. Mary had to force her to tell the truth, had to make it clear, her lies were wasted time because she knew better. Hadn’t she lied to Sophie too? Sophie had asked her if she was Batwoman. Right after the first time she put on the suit to save Sophie. She had known it was Kate and Kate lied to her. More than once. She even got Julia to help her establish her lie. She was not as noble as Mary and Sophie painted her.   
“I mean the truth can hurt, can take the people, who are important to you, away from you.”  
“Who would prefer to be lied to?” Kate knew, she didn’t want to be lied to. When Sophie lied to her face to make it easier for her, for them, she had preferred to hear the truth. This lie had hurt. It still did.   
“My mom.”  
Oh, Sophie’s mom was…not like Sophie at all. Kate had met her once and she couldn’t say she was a fan of her. Not that Sophie’s mother was a fan of Kate.   
“She liked that you got married to Tyler, didn’t she?”  
“Yes. A handsome, decorated, capable man, who always sent her flowers on her birthday. Just the kind of son-in-law she had wanted all her life.”  
“How did she take the separation?” Surely not well.   
“Your father told her and she…she came over to see me, talk sense into Tyler and me. And she came unannounced.”   
No kidding? Sophie’s mother had a horrible timing. Although, no, Kate had planned to end things with Sophie that night because it was too dangerous and made no sense. Batwoman and Sophie, that was something that couldn’t work out. You couldn’t start something serious and solid on a lie. So Sophie’s mother had stopped them from making a mistake. And she had stopped Kate from kissing Sophie, something she still couldn’t get enough of. The morning after their kiss on the rooftop she had felt happier than she had for years. Sophie made her happy.   
“You were…occupied when she arrived?” With my lips.   
“You could say so, yes,” Sophie sighed. “She ruined a moment, that was important to me.”  
Not only to you. “What kind of moment?”  
“I was with somebody…and…let’s say, it was the last time we saw each other in a positive way. The next time we saw she broke up with me.”  
“She?” It was kind of hard to pretend this was all new to her when she knew the story and felt the same disappointment Sophie felt. Sophie hadn’t been the only one, who was left with a broken heart that night. Kate had cried, she had felt like she had lost Sophie for a second time and it didn’t hurt less than the first time.   
“Yeah. She broke up because I live in a lie, wore a mask and didn’t want the world to know who I am.”  
Hearing these words made it clear to Kate that she had told Sophie she was living a lie, left her because of this lie when Kate did the same. She lived a lie, she lied to people only to keep them from knowing who she really was. She was not any better or different from Sophie. Only the their reasons were different which did not make Kate’s reasons better ones.   
“Do you? Not want the world to know who you are?”  
“I didn’t and I’m still not comfortable thinking about letting the world know I love women. Yet, it’s the truth and the truth is what helps most. Or so I hope. It did not work out with my mother, that was clear as she left without talking to me.”   
Kate realized their hands were still linked. And she realized something else: with Sophie around her, she felt comfortable and like no matter what happened, as long as they were together they could get through everything. She did not feel this with Julia, she never felt this with anybody else than Sophie.   
You met your soul mate in my universe, Beth had said. Was it Sophie? Had in Beth’s universe they never broke up? Was this the reason why the were drawn to each other all the time? There had to be a reason why Sophie kissed Batwoman, her subconsciousness must have felt it is Kate. And because Kate, a.k.a. Batwoman left her, Sophie told her mother the truth. She was stronger than she had been at the academy, she came clean with the person, she feared most.   
“You were very brave to tell your mother.”  
“Only ten years too late.”  
“You did it and that is what count.” Sophie had been brave, she had overcome her fear and trusted her mother with her biggest secret. Her mother did not appreciate the trust, she did not understand Sophie, however Sophie did what was right and it was not like she did anything wrong. Unlike Kate, who did something, she could never take back.   
“Enough of me, there are bigger things going on than my mother hating me for who I am. Somebody is trying to kill us and something is wrong with you. I can feel it. What is it, Kate? You can talk to me about anything. Whatever it is, I’m sure there is a solution we can find.”  
We? Sophie wanted to work with her on a solution? Sophie wanted to support her? There were so many things Kate kept a secret from her and, when she thought about it, she had always wanted to talk to Sophie about it. She wanted to tell her she was Batwoman and then they were interrupted. She wanted to tell her what she had done to Cartwright and they got interrupted. Her heart and mind had always reached out to Sophie.


	9. Chapter 9

Sophie  
Sophie felt how Kate was struggling with herself, how she struggled with the decision to tell her what to do. She understood it was not easy for Kate to trust her, she had disappointed her way too often. At the academy when she lied, when she told Kate’s father where she and Alice met, when she told Jacob Kate was Batwoman. No wonder Kate struggled to tell her what was going on.  
“If you worry about your father, I won’t tell him when you don’t want him to know. I know, I have credited a lot to him, my entire career, and then I was willing to give my career up because of what I believe is right.”  
“What is that?”  
“I believe Batwoman is not the enemy, I believe she can help the Crows, that she is good for Gotham. Your father suspended me because I freed her instead of bringing her in and I’d do it again. He knows my opinion about her, he knows I haven’t changed my opinion and I won’t.”  
“You are willing to give up your career to help a woman, you don’t know?”  
“Yes. Once I chose work over the woman I cared for most, I won’t do that again.” Had she just declared she cared for Barwoman? To Kate of all people.   
“You like her. Batwoman.”  
“Yes. I have no idea who she is, which makes it a little bit weird, but I want her to continue what she does. If there was a way to work with her, I’d do it because she does what I believe in.” While the Crows didn’t stand for what she believed in anymore. Especially not now, that some of them were trying to kill her.   
“What if she is not the person you think she is?”  
“How could she not?”  
“People disappoint you all the time. Sometimes, they disappoint themselves.”  
“Is that why you are so sad? Because you disappointed yourself?” Sophie couldn’t see Kate suffer because somebody disappointed her. She had seen the way Kate looked at her when she lied to her face, it had been different from how she looked now.   
“Yes. I’m disappointed and I’m afraid of myself, of what lies in me, that I don’t know, that I don’t want to come to the surface.”  
“That you are like Alice.”  
“Yes.”  
“I had the questionable pleasure of meeting your sister many times, I got closer to her than I ever wanted, I was at her mercy and I can tell you, you are not like her. She spared me because of you but mostly because she wants your her evil gang, her evil plans. She knows, she needs you to get what she wants. So, in the end she does these things for herself, not for you, not for me. You are not like her, you things for others and not because you expect any kind of advantages of your actions.”   
“I have no idea what to tell you, what to tell you first. There are…I lied to you…I kept you in the dark, it was not fair and I did what I accused you of doing to me. And then there is something…I have no idea how to handle and it was when I sent you the text. For some reason the first person, who comes to my mind when I feel bad, when I need somebody, who understand me, is you.”  
“I’m here for you.” Sophie felt her heart warm, she felt sensation in her body, a happiness, she hadn’t felt since…she had kissed Batwoman. Kate brought her the same feelings.   
“Since I’m back in Gotham I lied to you, Sophie. I lied to your face and I did everything to make sure you don’t find out the truth. And now…I only made it worse.”  
“What truth?” Somehow it was hard to believe Kate lied to her. Kate was straight forward, she did not lie to you to comfort you, to make you feel better. She called things how they were. It was one thing Sophie liked about her.   
“You were right from the beginning. Of course you were, you are smart, you know me, you recognize me. It was stupid to believe you won’t get it.”  
She wouldn’t get what? Apparently, she was not as smart as Kate thought she was.   
“What do you mean?”  
“You’ll be mad. Disappointed,” Kate sighed, shook her head like she saw the scene already in her mind.   
“Try me.” She squeezed Kate’s hand.   
“I am…I am Batwoman.”  
What? Kate was Batwoman? That couldn’t be. She saw Kate standing next to her while Batwoman stood in front of her. She couldn’t be Batwoman, she couldn’t be two people. It was impossible. She had seen them, it hadn’t been a trick, it was real. Kate could not be Batwoman.   
And if she was, it meant Sophie had kissed Kate. Oh my gosh. Had she? Had she kissed Kate when she thought she kissed Batwoman? Was this why she felt these tensions between her and Batwoman? Because it was Kate, because it were their tensions? The same she had felt years ago and when she and Kate were a couple.   
“But…I saw you standing next to me and Batwoman…when she was blown through the wall and you freed her from the Crows.”   
“I asked Julia to put on the suit because you were about to tell my father I’m Batwoman. I know, you wanted to do it because you worried about me and you were right as the weapon was dangerous and could have killed me. It can’t anymore because I have what Hamilton Dynamics developed, Alice gave it to me, but you did what you do to protect me. Yet, being Batwoman was what I loved and I knew, when my father learns it’s me, everything is over.”  
Kate was Batwoman. She had kissed Batwoman. No wonder Batwoman had no interest in being with Sophie as long as she was in the closet. Kate had been through this for years and she didn’t want the same thing to happen like it had years ago. Sophie could blame her, no matter how disappointed she was that Kate had lied to her. She did, what Sophie did back then: do what was best for them, to keep her life the way it was.   
“I guess we are even when it comes to lying straight to the other’s face now.”   
“That’s all you have to say about it?” Kate blinked a few times.   
“Well, I do have a million and one question, that is for sure. What I don’t have is the feeling of being disappointed by you and I am not mad.” No, she wasn’t. She understood why Kate did these things. It hurt that she hadn’t trust her but Sophie was not sure if she hadn’t betrayed the trust so it was best the way it happened.   
“Thank you,” Kate whispered.   
“Batwoman, huh? Before I start with my questions, because wow, I really can’t stop myself from not asking them, there is one thing I need to know first: the evening you came to see me, when my mom showed up and interrupted us. If she hadn’t shown up, had you come inside? Unmask yourself?”  
“I was there to tell you it’s not a good idea, it’s dangerous for you, for me.”  
“I remember you saying something like that, yes. You wanted to walk away.”  
“And you told me to walk.”  
“What I didn’t say but you did it anyway was: so walk, straight into this lips.” Because that was what Sophie had wanted. She had wanted Batwoman to kiss her and not to walk away.   
“I could not not kiss you. It was wrong because I should have told it’s me and I didn’t.”  
“You did a minute ago. Had you told me if my mother hadn’t shown up?”  
“Yes. It was not what I was supposed to do but it’s what I had done because when it comes to you, I don’t act rational, I listen to my heart.”   
“I still hate my mother for walking in on us.” Ruining the evening.   
Kate smiled. “You paid her back by telling her the truth. Well, it was not a payback but…it was not what she wanted to hear. I’m proud you did it, knowing she’d not take it well.”  
“It was the best thing to do,” Sophie sighed. “The truth.”  
“It means you don’t have to hide anymore?”  
“Does it also mean the next time we meet you give me a ride on your bike and not let me take an uber?” More importantly: was Kate willing to give them another chance? Because Sophie wanted it. Knowing Kate was Batwoman everything made sense, her reactions, her feelings, it all came back to one point: she had been attracted to Batwoman because she was Kate and did exactly, what Sophie always expected Kate to do: stand up for others and herself.


	10. Chapter 10

Kate  
Was Sophie asking her what Kate thought she was? Did she ask if Kate would take her with her the next time because they were an item? How could she be interested in being with her after Kate lied to her? Lied to her face. Then again, she had wanted to be with Sophie all the time and she had lied to her too. When your feelings for the other person were too strong you did not care about lies that much.   
“What? What do you mean?”  
Sophie smiled. “Would you walk into these lips again?”  
Oh my gosh, she did ask what Kate thought she was. And? Would she? Would she kiss Sophie again, now that the other woman knew she was Batwoman? Was she willing to risk her heart again? And their lives as people would find out Batwoman cared for Sophie, wouldn’t they? Well, only if they found out she was Batwoman.   
As the smile vanished from Sophie’s face Kate realized she needed to answer her. “I think you should hear the other thing I wanted to tell you. Two nights ago when I sent you the message and then decide if you want anything to do with me.”  
“I can’t think of anything you might have done that makes me change my mind about you.”  
If only she knew. She had no idea what Kate was capable of. Maybe it was better when she never found out. The problem was, now Sophie knew something was wrong and she wouldn’t rest until she found out what it was.   
“How about: I killed the person, who killed Beth?”  
“What do you mean?”  
Right, she had no idea Cartwright literally killed Beth. To Sophie, he killed a woman, who looked like Kate’s sister. “Cartwright kept her capture, he turned Beth into Alice.”  
“And you killed him?”  
“I did. Alice dropped him at my door, I tied him to a chair. He played mind games with me, asked for water, almost slashed his throat with broken glass. I called Mary, asked hot to save him, did it only to have him kill with my bare hands in the end.”  
“Why?”   
There was no emotion in this question, it was a simple matter-of-facts question. As if Sophie wanted to know why she used milk and sugar in her coffee.   
“Because,” Kate took a deep breath, “he kept the head of my mother. He…he wanted to use her face for his mother. The way Mouse used a face to pretend to be my father.” She saw Sophie swallow, saw her struggle. If this was not enough to prove Kate was bad, she had no idea what was.   
“He was a monster. A sick monster. No wonder Alice turned out the way she did.”  
“Yes.”  
“However, it has nothing to do with you, Kate.”  
“I killed him. With my hands while he was chained to the chair. He was not innocent, but he was defenseless and I used it. I let him manipulate me, he did to me the same he did to Alice. He turned me into Alice.” He had turned her into a killer. Had made her as bad as he was.   
“You are not Alice.” Sophie took both of Kate’s hands.   
“I do the same she does.”  
“No, you show remorse for a man, who does not deserve any remorse.”  
“I killed him.”  
“And I killed many people in my line of duty. Have you never killed somebody as Batwoman? You are surrounded by criminals.”  
“No.” No, she had injured people but not killed. At least not intentionally.   
“Okay. You know what we learned at the academy.”  
“Yes.” Yes, they had prepared them for this, had told them, they’d kill sooner or later and that it was not a crime because they were the good ones. Were you always the good one when you killed a bad one? Or did you become a bad one because you killed?   
“You are not like your sister.”  
“This is all so…I don’t know if I can trust myself. The last time I was Batwoman I almost choked somebody. I should have stopped but I almost didn’t. It was like I saw Cartwright again.”  
“See, this is evidence enough to tell me, you are not your sister. Alice would not worry about it.”  
No, she wouldn’t. The problem was, all the worrying in the world could not undo what she had done. Her actions talk louder than her thoughts and remorse.  
“What if the same happens the next time? Only that I won’t stop?”  
“You will stop, you are not a killer. No criminal will manipulate you to kill them, none of them did to Beth what Cartwright did.”  
Was it this easy? Was everything that had happened to blame on Cartwright? Wasn’t this too easy?   
“Julia and Mary want me to go out, be Batwoman.”  
“Mary knows?”  
“Don’t ask me why, I didn’t tell her but she is too smart, she figured it out and she had arguments I couldn’t ignore, couldn’t claim they were all wrong.”   
“She is right, Gotham needs Batwoman.”  
“Do they need the killer version too?”  
“They need you, the you version. When the city says it needs you, they say they need you, Kate.”  
Her? The city had no idea she was Batwoman, they needed somebody to do their dirty work.   
“No, they need somebody to give them hope and that is you. Take it from somebody, who is willing to give up her job in order to support Batwoman.”  
Yeah, Sophie did. “You only want to see me in the suit and with the wig.”  
“To be honest, the red wig was…something I had to get used to but it did the trick, people realized you are not Batman. I do prefer your natural hair though.”  
“Me too,” Kate smiled slightly. Was this all right? Was it right to share with Sophie who she was? To tell her what she did? Or had it been a mistake? So far Sophie was not scared or shocked, she took it much better than Kate expected.   
“So, are you going to be Batwoman again? Because we all need Batwoman. All of us. Including you.”  
Did she? Did she need Batwoman? It did give her life a purpose but was this worth risking losing control over herself? Sophie was right, whoever crossed her path was not Cartwright, did not kill Beth, but was this enough for Kate to stop before it was too late?   
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”  
“It’s the best idea and if you don’t insist on a wig, I’m happy to join you.”  
“You should wear a wig, somebody wants you dead.”  
“Then we should arrest these people before they get what they want, what do you thin?”  
“I think I want to walk into these lips again.”


	11. Chapter 11

Sophie  
Sophie closed the distance between her and Kate, not that there had been a big one. With every minute they had slipped closer and closer to each other. First their knees had touched, then their tights, now their hips and well, their lips. Yes, this was the feeling, the happy feeling. How could she not have realized Batwoman was Kate? These were Kate’s lips and she should have recognized them. No other lips had ever made her that happy. No other lips had ever made her feel like she was right where she belonged. In Kate’s arms and Kate in hers, kissing. Her tongue ran softly over Kate’s lips and the other woman parted her lips, greeting Sophie’s tongue with her own. A million stars exploded and her whole body turned hot.   
Kate.   
There had always been only one perfect person and that was the woman in her arms. This was how it felt when you were happy, when you kissed the one, you were meant to kiss. Anything else was worthless compared to what Kate and she had. Anything else could never hold a candle to what they shared. This was her true happiness.   
“Are you kissing me or Batwoman now?” Kate whispered quietly.   
“You. It has always been you.” There had never been somebody else.  
“So I am not supposed to wear a wig for our first date?”  
“Nope. You can wear whatever you like.”  
“Not sneakers if we go to a certain restaurant.”  
“I think we skip this place and leave our money with somebody, who is more open-minded.”  
“A smart decision.” Kate closed her eyes.   
“Are you okay?”  
“Still…the fact I killed somebody still freaks me out.”  
“It does not mean you are like Alice.”  
“She was delighted I did it. Maybe she even left him there so I kill him and become like her.”  
“Well, you will never be like her.”  
“I hope I won’t,” Kate sighed, “what shall we do next?”  
Oh, Sophie had a few ideas. “Are you asking what we should do or what I want to do? Because these are two completely different things.” Very different. The only thing they had in common was that Kate was involved in both.   
“I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do myself, the thing, there are matters we should take care of. As long as we can. And I’m afraid I have to call dad.”  
“You are not going to tell him any of this, are you? I mean, that you are Batwoman.”  
“No. I doubt it would be a good idea. Yet, we all have the same mission right now: find whoever wants to kill you and stop the bomber.”  
“Add to that take your sister back to Arkham.” Not that Sophie believed she’d have a chance to do so. Not unless Kate became Batwoman and helped her. “Are we going to work together now? Because we were pretty cool together the other day.”  
“No, you work with the Crows and I work alone. Or with Luke. The moment people realize you are with Batwoman they will come after you. I don’t want that. You are with me and not with Batwoman. At least that is what I hope.”  
“It’s what it is.” Sophie kissed softly. She was with Kate, not with Batwoman. Because Kate was the one, who made her happy. Very happy.


End file.
